The Thursday Owl - November 4, 2021

Turkey Trot returns for its 26th running!

Our trotters had to wait two years (plus one week), but the 26th Annual Alcott School Turkey Trot took off under sunny skies yesterday at Emerson Track. Under the expert guidance of its creator, Mr. Tim Gaudreau, this beloved event saw runners from all six grades run 3, 4, 5 or more laps around the track to benefit two of our most deserving local charities, Open Table and The Concord Recreation Scholarship Fund.

Please remember to turn in your donations! You can DONATE via PayPal or check (payable to "Alcott PTG," which will transfer all funds to the charities). For more information visit the site. Let's beat our 2020 total of $1,200!

Outdoor Movie Night 2021 is a wrap!

Wow! The skies cleared just in time for our first-ever Alcott Outdoor Movie Night last Friday. Thank you so much to the entire Alcott community, which voted for the movie choice (The Addams Family), supplied the concessions, set up and ran the booths and, most importantly, attended and brought their school spirit to make our first-ever Movie Night a smashing success. Over 200 community members brought their blankets and chairs, enjoyed Mrs. Tyson's gourmet popcorn and enjoyed the late October chill at Alcott. Special thanks to Daniel Cortes, Dennis Dietrich and Mike Dodge for their supportive assistance before, during and after the nighttime event. We can't wait to see the Alcott families enjoying another get-together very soon!

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Alcott PTG Open Meeting next Wednesday, 11/10: Please join us for the PTG Fall Open Meeting on Wednesday, November 10th at 7:00PM via Zoom. All Alcott community members are welcome at this informative session about current initiatives and outlook for the school year. Come see what's happening at Alcott by joining the meeting HERE.

Interested in METCO Family Friends after-school play dates?
After a successful back to school event in Boston last month, we are getting ready to schedule a monthly 'late bus' for Boston students. What is that you ask? Once a month on a half day Wednesday, Boston students can stay and play with a Concord student and Concord parents bring the student back to Alcott to take a 3 PM bus back to Boston. It's a great way for kids and families to get to know each other better. Please take a minute to respond to this survey and let us know if you'd like to participate. Exact Wednesday dates TBD.

The Concord Middle School Coats for Kids Club needs your help! Their annual Anton’s Cleaners Coats for Kids drive is NOW UNDERWAY! The goal this year is to collect 300 coats! Please consider donating any gently-used coats in good condition by sending them to Alcott with your child. The drop-off box is next to the office. We accept any size coat, from infant snowsuits to oversized adult, but please do not donate clothing other than winter coats – no sweatshirts, raincoats, vests, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens or snow pants. The drive runs until January 8th, 2022. If you get a new coat for the winter, consider donating your old coat to Coats for Kids. Thank you very much for your generosity!

The Alcott Lost & Found is overflowing with items!


We know what you're thinking: "Hmm, that isn't SO many items . . ." Well, this photo was taken on October 20th, before the cold weather set in! If you are missing any jackets, sweatshirts, hoodies, water bottles, lunch boxes, etc., please ask your student to check the Lost & Found, located in the cafeteria hallway.

ALSO, as late Fall approaches, it is a great idea to LABEL your jackets, sweatshirts, hoodies (and anything not physically attached to your student) with your student's name! You don't need fancy labels--BLACK OR SILVER SHARPIES can label all of your student's belongings!

***Every Wednesday is now a half-day***


Nov 4: K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 10: PTG Open Meeting, 7pm (via Zoom)
Nov 11: Veterans Day (NO SCHOOL) Nov 24: Half-Day (12:30pm Dismissal) Nov 25-26: Thanksgiving Recess (NO SCHOOL)
CPS/CCRSD 21-22 School Calendar can be found here

IN THE COMMUNITY

Concord Free Public Library invites everyone to visit their newly installed StoryWalk on the Main Library lawn. The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. See details HERE.

Concord Public and Concord-Carlisle Regional SEPAC invites you to attend
the next SEPAC meeting on November 15 at 7:30pm via Zoom. Dr. Laurie Hunter and Justin Cameron, CMS principal, will join us to present plans for the new middle school building. Come hear about its impact on the education of our children and plans for accessibility. Bring your comments and questions!

Topic: November SEPAC meeting, Concord/CC
Time: Nov 15, 2021 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 815 7457 8365 Passcode: i9bVXP

Concord Public and Concord-Carlisle Regional SEPAC is also offering: Basic Rights: Evaluation and Eligibility--A Free Virtual Workshop for Parents and Professionals on Wed., Nov. 10, 2021, 7:00-9:00pm. Register HERE.

Concord Youth Theatre's production of Seussical opens tomorrow! Performances are: Fridays, November 5 & 12 at 7:30pm; Saturdays, November 6 & 13 at 4:00pm; Sundays, November 7 & 14 at 2:30pm. Get your tickets HERE.

Events and Updates from Concord Recreation:
Programs @ Alcott (Registration opens December 8th @ 7:30am)
String Orchestra (Fridays beginning 1/12/22 @ 8:00am)--Festival String Orchestra before or after school program is for students who have been studying basic skills since September and can play Twinkle Twinkle (#43 in the book) by January. The program is suitable for 4th year beginner students or second year + players (5th) graders. Join to further develop your ensemble playing skills on your string instrument. It's fun to make music all together! The final product will be sound recorded and emailed to the parents.

Engineering Workshop (Mondays beginning 1/24/22 @ 3:30pm)--Wicked Cool engineers will be put to the task to build things that go. Explore the engineering and design process to build balloon powered cars, hovercrafts, and magnet powered JunkBots. 

Kids Test Kitchen (Thursdays beginning 3/3/22 @ 3:30pm)--Each class presents students with an opportunity to explore new or familiar foods in their raw, unmanipulated state. Then, working as a team, we’ll slice, dice, peel, measure, and cook until we’ve prepared the finished dish. Lessons are planned to celebrate seasonal produce – warm you on a cold winter day and offer ideas for quick and healthy family meals. At the end of class your aspiring chef will receive the main ingredient, or a sample of the finished dish, and the recipe so that they can show off what they’ve learned!

Code Wiz (online)--Code Wiz offers a variety of classes including Minecraft Coding, Game Based Python, and Game Development. The framework promotes a vision in which all students critically engage in computer science issues; approach problems in innovative ways; and create computational artifacts with a practical, personal, or societal intent.

GGLeagues – Esports (online)--You can safely play your favorite games (Madden 21, Fortnite, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros) in a competitive league, or one off major event. Building Community Through Gaming: We believe the beauty of esports is the ability to make friends, build relationships, and connect with your community. GGLeagues provides esports leagues and infrastructure to empower communities with the goal of connecting gamers with each other.

Please visit this space for updates on sports, music and theater registration dates, seminars, and more events throughout town.

The Thursday Owl October 28, 2021

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

MOVIE NIGHT!! Buy tickets online or in-person at Alcott pickup Mon 10/25 - Fri 10/29.
Voting is still open for the movie of choice until end of day today so send your kids in with all that spare change! The weather is looking cooperative so bring a lawn chair!

All tickets can be picked up at "Alcott WillCall" the night of the movie.


26th Annual Alcott School Turkey Trot
This is postponed due to weather for November 3 2021. We are still accepting pledges until Monday, December 6.

How To Donate
PAYPAL or Check: Make check payable to the Alcott PTG who will transfer all funds to the charities.

Photo Retake Day Wednesday, Nov. 3 2021.
If your child missed Photo Day or if you are dissatisfied with your child’s school photo and would like to try again, you have the opportunity for a retake. Please return the entire, undamaged portrait package to the photographer on Retake Day. If you would like your child to have their picture re-taken, please email jane.baldini@gmail.com to ensure they will be photographed. 

Alcott at Concord Recreation's Trunk or Treat 2021 - Sunday, Oct. 31st: Concord Recreation will be hosting a Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, October 31st from 2:00 - 3:30pm at the Beede Center parking lot. They are looking for volunteers from the Alcott community to host a car. Please reach out to Michelle Hage, our School Community Chair, at mhage224@gmail.com if you are interested in hosting a car

***Every Wednesday is now a half-day***


Oct. 29: Alcott Movie Night 7pm BUY TICKETS
Nov. 3:
Turkey Trot Rain Date
Nov. 3: Picture Retake Day
Nov 4: K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 10: PTG Open Meeting, 7pm (via Zoom)
Nov 11: Veterans Day (NO SCHOOL)

CPS/CCRSD 21-22 School Calendar can be found here

IN THE COMMUNITY

Join Mothers Out Front for a “Pumpkin Smash” at Codman Community Farm in Lincoln! Compost your pumpkin and make a difference this fall! At this family-friendly event, families are invited to return their pumpkins to the soil by feeding them to the Codman Farm pigs! Bring all your Halloween pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns for smashing. Please remove stickers, paint, candles, and plastic decorations! RSVP Here!

Annual Scarecrow Festival on October 16 - 31. Gather your family! Visit the The Concord Free Library's Main front lawn and the Fowler Library’s lawn to enjoy all the creative scarecrows made by local organizations!

Concord Youth Theatre's production of Seussical. Performances are: November 5 & 12 at 7:30pm; November 6 & 13 at 4:00pm; November 7 & 14 at 2:30 . Get your tickets here.

EVENTS FROM CONCORD RECREATION

Trunk or Treat  Join the Beede Swim and Fitness Center for our 6th annual Trunk-or-treat on 10/31! This free event welcomes participants to decorate their vehicle/tailgate and pass out candy to kids walking with family from car to car. Trick or treating allows kids to have all the fun of trick or treating in a safe, controlled environment. Please register only if you would like to decorate your vehicle and pass out candy. 1 REGISTRATION PER CAR.

Sleepy Hollow 5k & Fun Run  Join the Beede Swim and Fitness Center at this year's Sleepy Hollow 5K & Fun Run on 10/30! Runners will enjoy a course that takes you through out Concord. All 5K & Fun Run participants who pre-register will receive a t-shirt.  The Fun Run is open to runners of all ages and abilities and will begin at 9:00am.  The 5K will start at 10:00am.  Costumes are encouraged!

Concord Recreation Youth Basketball League
Age appropriate levels for everyone! Concord Rec basketball league will resume in January 2022! This 11 week season will consist of 7 games and 4 practice/scrimmage weeks mixed in for continuous growth and development.

Musical Theater Experience
Registration will open Monday, 11/1 at 7:30am. 
For over 25 years, Elaine Jarvis and Jen Jarvis and the Musical Theater Experience staff have offered children the opportunity for children in grades 1-5 to learn and then perform for family and friends, an age appropriate version of both original and well known musicals.  No auditions or experience is necessary and everyone gets a part, along with singing and dancing. The Winter Show is Annie and will take place at Willard School. 

Turkey Hunt
The turkey hunt is on! Every Monday in November, look on Concord Recreation’s Facebook and Instagram for a clue to where we've hidden a turkey in one of Concord's parks! Be the first one to find the turkey and call Concord Recreation 978-287-1050 to redeem it for a real turkey for your dinner table.  Clues available at 9:00 AM on Monday morning.

The Concord Free Public Library is partnering with Crossroads - a student organization created by Concord Carlisle High School students to offer monthly story and craft programs that focus on important cultural, social, and diverse topics. Children in grades K-5 are invited to join.
Where/When:  Children’s Activity Room at the Main Library on the third Thursday of each month at 4:00pm.
November 18, December 16, January 20, February 17, March 17, April 21, May 19, and June 16. No registration required."
 

Please visit this space for updates on sports, music and theater registration dates, seminars, and more events throughout town.

The Thursday Owl, October 21, 2021

BIKE-WALK-AND-ROLL-TO-SCHOOL-DAY!  Thank you to all the families who chose to walk, bike, and roll to school on a beautiful Wednesday in October!  Kids had a great time taking over streets in a "bike train" and lots of other kids used their wheels and feet to take a Green route to school! If you want to be involved in future events, reach out here, and we hope to see lots of kids continuing to walk, bike, and roll this school year!  Special thanks go to Principal Krakow, Ron Holsinger of the Concord Police Department and the Save Routes to School (SRTS) program for making this day possible.

FAMILY FUN AT FRANKLIN PARK! Thank you to all of the students and families who made the METCO Family Friends Fall Field Day such a wonderful success last Saturday, October 16th, at Franklin Park in Boston. The district-wide event featured fun, games, treats and socializing for folks across the elementary schools, CMS and CCHS. This event was our first in-person all-school gathering in 24 months and we owe it all to our planning team for their vision, hard work and creativity: METCO Academic Liaison Savaughn Dickerson, Alcott parent and METCO Parent Representative Tanika Williams, and Alcott PTG Board Chairs, Kenlyne Exume and Kristen Ferguson. Special thanks to Mr. Gaudreau for supplying the day's games and gear. Looking forward to many more family events to come!

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

26th Annual Alcott School Turkey Trot! Less than one week until the return of our favorite charitable track event! The Turkey Trot will take place on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 from 9:45 - 11:45AM at the Emerson Track. Please consider pledging a donation for each lap your child completes around the Emerson Track. 100% of proceeds go to Open Table and The Concord Recreation Scholarship Fund. The Turkey Trot pledge sheet was distributed in your student's take-home folder last week. For more information visit the site.

How To Donate: PayPal or Check: Make check payable to Alcott PTG, which will transfer all funds to the charities. Let's beat our 2020 total of $1,200!

Volunteers Needed. Please contact Mr.G: tgaudreau@concordps.org

Alcott Movie Night, Friday, October 29th!  Come join us at the school for an outdoor Movie Night next Friday!  Tickets are on sale NOW and available here!

Buy Tickets

And the Movie Night selection is . . . the STUDENTS' CHOICE! Voting is taking place by coin and bill in Alcott's front hallway now through next week. Students may vote for The Addams Family (animated), Hotel Transylvania or Shrek. Good luck, and may the best movie win!

Meadowbrook Farms Fall Fundraiser: Hello Alcott Families! By now your child should have brought home their Meadowbrook Farms packet from school. Please take a moment to browse the brochures to see if there are any good looking items you can snag for you, your family or friends for fun or for the holidays! Orders can be placed online or through the Meadowbrook Farms mobile app and will be sent directly to your home! The sale runs through October 28, 2021 and your PTG benefits from each and every sale.

Pooled Testing at Alcott continues: If you still have not yet signed your student up to participate in asymptomatic pooled testing this year, we hope that you will consider doing so. You can access the consent form via this link. If you have any questions about the pooled testing process, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Krakow or Nurse Amante.


***Every Wednesday is now a half-day***


Oct. 29: Alcott Movie Night 7pm
Nov 4: K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 10: PTG Open Meeting, 7pm (via Zoom)
Nov 11: Veterans Day (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 24: Half-day
Nov 25-26: Thanksgiving Recess (NO SCHOOL)

CPS/CCRSD 21-22 School Calendar can be found here

IN THE COMMUNITY

Register today for the Apple Challenge: Concord Education Fund's Annual Fundraiser, a Virtual 5-mile Hike|Bike|Roll|Stroll, November 5th-7th! Register today for the Apple Challenge using this link. You will receive a lawn sign, a Concord Ed Fund hat and other fun swag when you register!

The Concord Free Public Library is excited to host a Halloween storytelling program with Parents’ Choice Award winning performer Davis Bates. This is the perfect way to celebrate the fall season, with songs, true life ghost stories, and supernatural tales.

  • Tuesday, October 26 at 4 pm. T

  • Ages 5 years and older w/ an adult

  • In case of inclement weather, the program will take place at Hunt Recreation Center, 90 Stow St, Concord, MA.

6th Annual Scarecrow Festival on October 16 - 31. Gather your family! Visit the The Concord Free Library's Main front lawn and the Fowler Library’s lawn to enjoy all the creative scarecrows made by local organizations!

Events and Updates from Concord Recreation:
Trunk or Treat Join the Beede Swim and Fitness Center for our 6th annual Trunk-or-treat on 10/31! This free event welcomes participants to decorate their vehicle/tailgate and pass out candy to kids walking with family from car to car. Trick or treating allows kids to have all the fun of trick or treating in a safe, controlled environment. Please register only if you would like to decorate your vehicle and pass out candy. 1 REGISTRATION PER CAR.
Sleepy Hollow 5k & Fun Run Join the Beede Swim and Fitness Center at this year's Sleepy Hollow 5K & Fun Run on 10/30! Runners will enjoy a course that takes you through out Concord. All 5K & Fun Run participants who pre-register will receive a t-shirt. The Fun Run is open to runners of all ages and abilities and will begin at 9:00am. The 5K will start at 10:00am. Costumes are encouraged!
November Professional Day Care Looking for child care for the November 4th Professional Day? The November Professional Day Program is from 8:00am to 6:00pm at Hunt Recreation Center. Registration open to general public. First come, first serve basis. This program has NO AFFILIATION with Concord Recreation’s Before or Afterschool Program. Please inform Concord Recreation of any medical issues or allergies. Field Trip to be announced.

Please visit this space for updates on sports, music and theater registration dates, seminars, and more events throughout town.

PTG online volunteer information and sign-up: Please visit our website to discover all the ways both working and non-working parents and guardians are needed to support our wonderful staff, students, and families. Have something to offer that you don’t see listed there? There’s a place for you to submit that info as well! We hope to hear from you!